Unfriendly Fire
The Society threatens to split when its members start arguing with each other and acting out of character. Transcript (At school, everyone is greeting friends and heading to class. But one boy doesn't seem to be joining in. He scans the faces, looking for four specific ones. The boy looks at his wristwatch, studying it intently. Then he looks up and sees one of his targets: a brunette, average height and weight. If he didn't know better, he would have thought her completely normal. But he's the only one outside her little circle who sees her for what she really is. He fixes his gaze on her before finding the other three and doing the same thing again. Then he slinks off towards the classroom. No one sees him leave. After a few classes, it's lunchtime, and the Society is eating at their usual table. Jennifer waves Marky over and beckons him toward the table. Candy leans in towards Jennifer.) Candy: Why are you inviting him over here? Jennifer: Candy, you're acting like Vivian Tomson. I'm inviting him over here because he always eats by himself. Candy: What about our image? What about my image? I can't be seen with him! Charlie: (Her mouth is full of food.) Cee, what's wrong with you? Candy: I'll tell you what's wrong with me: My social life! I totally chose the wrong friends. Lena: (She presses her lips together, the way she always does when annoyed.) And what, pray tell, is wrong with us? We've been your best friends since kindergarten. Candy: I'm friends with two nerds and a dumb jock. Charlie: (She bangs a fist on the table and glares at Candy.) WHAT?! Candy: What, you couldn't process that? Your brain couldn't handle all those words? (By this point, Charlie is simmering with barely controlled fury. Her face is bright red, she is shaking, and a low growl is coming from her throat.) Jennifer: (She holds a hand out.) Charlie... Calm down... Charlie: NO! I WILL NOT STAND IDLY BY AND LISTEN TO HER SAY THAT! (Everyone is staring at them now, but Charlie doesn't care, she needs to break something, she needs to let her rage out any way she can. Vivian walks over to them, and Charlie smiles. Perfect.) Lena: What do you want? Vivian: Well, I want to know what's going on. Is the happy little quartet finally breaking up? Charlie: (She picks up an apple.) Listen to me and listen good, Tomson: I can and will shove this thing down your throat. And I won't be sorry, either. Vivian: As if. I know you and your empty threats, Charlotte. Charlie: Call me that again and my threat won't be so empty anymore. Vivian: Oh, really? Are you asking for expulsion? Charlie: Keep being smart with me and you won't be able to tell your mommy what happened. You won't be able to tell anyone what happened. Vivian: (Fairly pale and nervous-looking, she tugs at her collar.) Now, Charlie, it doesn't have to come to that... (She hurries away as quickly as possible.) Jennifer: Charlie! I know you hate Vivian, but did you really have to threaten her? Candy: Some of the things she's said before do actually have some truth to them... Charlie: (She turns on her former friend.) Like what? Candy: Well, Lena's a nerd; that's pretty well established. Charlie: Lena is my friend. And anyone who has something against her isn't. Candy: Good. One less weight keeping me down. Charlie: Fine then. (Some time after that particular disaster, Jennifer, Lena, and Charlie are hanging out in the hallway.) Charlie: I'll kill her, I really will. Jennifer: Charlie, please don't do that! She may be kind of a queen bee, but she's still our friend! Charlie: Since when did you get to be such a goody-goody? Jennifer: You know, I don't quite know. Something just went off in my mind. Burgan: (through Lena) I think I know what's going on here. Goravan: (through Jennifer) What? They're certainly acting odd; I know Jennifer's not that much like Silver. Burgan: (through Lena) Well, something is affecting their minds, enhancing their bad qualities and drowning out their good ones. And I know how to cure them: stop the infection at the source. If I don't stop it, the infection takes over, ruining their hearts and turning them dark. Gonavon: (through Charlie) By "dark", you mean...? Birgan: (through Lena) Ruining their moral compasses; destroying their sense of right and wrong. Goravan: (through Jennifer) Wow... So, who was the first to be infected? Gonavon: (through Charlie) Candy was the first one affected. But you have to keep yourself uncontaminated, Burgan; I don't want to know what this might do to you. Burgan: (through Lena) I'll try. (She goes into an almost trancelike state, connecting with Candy's psyche, before entering her mind.) Now, the infection must be here somewhere... (She creates a pistol and keeps it in her hand in case of ambush.) Good. Now if my mind is tired, I have a backup. Now, which way do I go? (The sound of footsteps makes Burgan look around before seeing a purple form coming towards her. It begins twisting and writhing, finally taking the shape of... Silver? Well, a purple version of Silver. The eyes are cold and unfeeling, and Burgan is overcome with a freezing sensation. She overcomes it and clicks a bullet into place. She shoots, but nothing happens; the bullet goes through the fake Silver. Silver grabs Burgan's arm, and Burgan feels excruciating pain all over her body, making her limbs shake. A cry forms in her mouth, but she refuses to let it out. A realization forms in her mind: this is the exact opposite of Silver. The real Silver brings healing; this imitation of her brings pain. As such, the fake Silver is everything Silver is not. Burgan wrenches her arm away and touches Silver's head.) Burgan: Sil, I'm sorry. (Burgan places a hand on the imposter's head and remembers happiness, joy, the thrill of victory. During the process, she hears Silver scream in pain.) I know. I know it hurts, but it's for your own good. (The feelings intensify, and finally, Silver collapses before disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke.) I'm sorry... (She awakens on Earth as though waking from a dream, still in Lena's body.) I... I killed her... Goravan: (through Jennifer) You killed Silver?! Burgan: (through Lena) I killed the infection. It... Took the form of Silver. I had to kill it. Goravan: (through Jennifer) I know that must have been hard for you. At least you didn't kill the real Silver, right? Burgan: Yes... I suppose you're right.